Answers to your VEXcode VR FAQs

Teachers and students all over the world are using VEXcode VR to learn computer science. In this blog, we take a look at some of the more common questions we have received about VEXcode VR.

Can I build my own robot to use in VEXcode VR?

VEXcode VR is for experimenting with different ways to program a robot. Though I can see the attraction of building a virtual robot, VEXcode VR is designed to supplement the experience of a physical VEX robot. This way, users can experience the benefits of each. Using them both together provides the additional benefits of reaching students with diverse interests and implementation challenges, differentiating teaching based upon student needs, and allowing students to continue to practice coding while they are home.

If you’re interested in having your students build robots, we strongly believe that students’ first experience with an educational robot should be with a hands-on robot. If you’re interested in finding the robot kit that is right for you, click here to get started!

Can I utilize text-based programming in VEXcode VR?

During my last webinar, I gave a sneak preview of VEXcode 2.0. Because of your feedback, we’ve adjusted our roadmap and we are now going to prioritize Python programming in VEXcode VR. Look for Python in VEXcode VR at the end of May. Follow this blog and VEX social media for more updates.

How do students share their VEXcode VR projects with me?

We’ve gotten this question a lot from teachers. The short answer is to have students name and save their projects and then email them to you as an attachment. However, many teachers are using things like Google classroom and want an answer specific to their environment. We’ve created a Knowledge Base article to specifically address this concern.

How do I stay up to date with all of the new features of VEXcode VR?

We’ve added a ton of new features to VEXcode VR since its release at the beginning of April. To stay up to date with all the changes, go to our VEXcode VR page here. Once there, just scroll to the bottom and expand the changelog.

What should I do if one of my students is having technical issues with VEXcode VR?

In this situation, the best option is to use the feedback button within VEXcode VR. This information then comes straight to us and allows us to troubleshoot the problem, as opposed to, for example, sending an email.

What happens in the Castle Crashers playground if I accidentally drive my VR Robot off of the table?

Try it. See what happens 🙂 Luckily, you can always just hit the reset button.

Does using VEXcode VR help me learn how to program a physical VEX Robot?

Absolutely. The majority of the blocks in VEXcode VR are also used in VEXcode IQ and V5 blocks. For example, you can use Drivetrain blocks to program your IQ robot to drive forward and reverse. You can also use the same Drivetrain blocks to program your VR robot to drive forward and reverse. That is just one of many examples. There is a lot of transfer between coding a VR robot and coding a V5 and/or an IQ robot.